Suction cleaner



March 16 1926- w. v. ORR

SUCTION CLEANER Filed May 19, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

UNITED- STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

WILLIAM v. can, or CLEVELAND, onro.

' SUCTION CLEANER.

Application filed May 19, 1922. 7 Serial No. 562,053.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, 'VVILL AM V. ORR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Suction Cleaners, of which the-following is a-full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to suction cleaners and has for its main object the provision of a new and improved construction and arrangement of parts permitting the employment of a fan of particularly high efliciency; the provision of a suction cleaner having a plurality of litter receptaclesof different character; the provision of a portable type suction cleaner having screening devices located upon both sides of the suction fan; the provision of a suction cleaner having new and improved provisions for the arresting and separation of. litter and combined with an attachment'for an extension hose; while further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application I have illustrated certain physical forms in which my inventive idea can be embodied. Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a suction cleaner constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the cleaner shown in Fig. 1, a part of the cleanout door being broken away; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view corresponding to the broken line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to the line 44 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the mode of attaching the suction hose to my improved cleaner.

The casing of my improved cleaner comprises a fan chamber 1, a nozzle indicated generally at 2, and a motor housing 3, these parts constituting a rigid structure supported on forward rollers 4 and a rearward caster wheel 5 and adapted to be moved about the floor by a pivoted handle 6. The fan casing 1 is mounted withits axis substantially horizontal and communicates with the interior of the nozzle by a central opening 8, its periphery being formed with a rearwardly and upwardly projecting outlet neck 9 to which is attached the lower end of a porous dust bag 10 theupper end of which is suitably suspended from the handle. Lo-

cated inside the fan chamber is a suction fan which preferably takes the form, illustrated in Fig. 3, of a pair'of circular metal plates 1213 spaced apart at their centers but converging gradually towards their peripheries to define a narrow outlet slot 14, the forward plate 12 being formed with a central inlet opening 15 which registers with the opening 8. and the rearward plate 13 being attached to the motor shaft 16. Preferably a narrow annular flange 17 is formed about the inlet opening 8 and projects into the opening 15 to prevent eddy currents inside the casing, while the portions of the plates 12 and 13 outside of this opening are connected by blades or vanes 18.

Such a fan is known in the art as a shrouded fan and will produce a higher degree of suction than any other, but can be used successfully in a suction cleaner only in case bulky litter be excluded therefrom, else the narrow outlet slot 14 will become clogged, although lint and fine dust will pass therethrough without obstruction. In order to accomplish this I preferably equip the nozzle with advance separating provisions. The upper wall 20 of the nozzle slopes forwardly and downwardly from a point-above the opening 8 to a point adjacent the supporting surface where it terminates in :1 depending lip 21. Below this wall and spaced rea'rwardly from the lip 21 is a second lip 22 which with the first lipin downwardly inclined mouths 24, be

tween which and the opening 8 is interposed the coarse screen 25. Depending from the two sides of the top wall 20 are a pair of side walls 26, 26 which projectnearl to the floor and define a receiving cham er, the bottom of'which is closed by a cleanout door27 secured thereto in any suitable manner. men't I have shown the same as pivoted upon In the present embodithe horizontal axis 28 and held shut both by the friction .of the lip 29 and the action of a suitable spring 80. I have shown this chamb'er as traversed by a horizontal shaft 31 on which the carrying wheels are mounted, the passages 23 being elevated so as to pass above this shaft. In the present embodiment the screen 23 is substantially horizontal which is a very desirable arrangement since the weight of the litter tends automatically to clearthe screen.

Above this screen the nozzle contains a considerably smaller triangular {chamber immediately adjacent to the opening 8, the top of this chamber being preferably formed with an opening 32 through which a hose coupling 34 can be introduced to connect with the opening 8, the wall of the fan chamber being formed with slideways 3st adapted to receive the flanges 36 formed for this purpose upon the coupling mem her as described and claimed in my Patent No. 1,210,523, January 2, 1917. When the hose is not in use this opening is closed by a removable cover 37 secured in any suitable manner as by the spring latch 38. it, will be seen that this hose coupling can be attached without impedance from the screen Of course the screen is not available in that case to arrest bulky litter pass ing through the hose, but experience shows that the extension hose is seldom employed for that kind of material but ordinarily only for such fine and impalpable dust as is found on clothing, walls, and draperies.

The mode of using the device will be clear without extended explanation. The small height and low grade of the passageways 23-23 enable litter of considerable weight to be picked up by the cleaner, such as sand, pebbles, particles of coal, and the like, which, together with scraps of cloth, paper,

awyers string, etc. are arrested by the screen 25 while the fine dust passes into the bag 10. lhe litter arrested by the screen is dumped from time to time by opening the door 27. lt is important that the screen 25 be so coarse as to arrest only the large particles else it will itself become clogged and matted; with all types of fan, however, it is best to exclude large rags, coins, and the like since the former sometimes wedge in the fan chamber and the latter may break the blades. lhis screen is most conveniently secured in place by casting the nozzle about it, although I do not restrict its use to cast metal nozzles nor do 1 limit myself to this construction in connection with cast metal nozzles.

It will be understood that many changes in details of arrangement and design can be made within the scope of my invention which is not limited to employment solely with horizontal type of cleaner, nor solely with this type of fan, nor in any other way except as specifically recited in my claim.

Having thus described my invention what i claim is:

In a suction cleaner, :1. collecting nozzle having a downwardly facing, narrow inlet mouth, a chamber, and a pair of passageways leading from said mouth to a point intermediate between the bottom and top of said chamber, a pumping device connected to the top part of said chamber, a coarse mesh screen traversing said chamber between said passageways and said pumping device, a cleanout door for the bottom part of said chamber, and a dust bag into which said pumping device discharges.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto :Jiix my signature.

WILLIAM V. ORR. 

